1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment incorporating elastics for use in a variety of physical exercise applications.
2. The Background Art
Stretchable members have numerous applications for use in fastening, bundling, and otherwise generally containing objects. The stretch ability of such members makes them ideal for such purposes. Stretchable members also have application in exercising. The durability and stretch resistance of certain stretchable members makes them ideal for repetitive movements required in exercising. The stretchable members are often embodied as tubular elastics formed of latex. The elastics do not take as much space as free weights or other exercise equipment thus making them ideal for travel, storage, or exercising in limited space.
In practice, one end of the elastic may be connected or affixed to a stationary location and the user may repeatedly pull the other end of the elastic away from the stationary location to exercise selected muscles. The types of exercises that may be performed with the elastic in this manner vary as do the methods for attaching the elastic to a stationary location and the user.
The elastic may further be used with a rigid bar to form an exercise device as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,195,835, 4,326,708, 4,779,867, and 5,776,041. In this application, the elastic is connected to the rigid bar, such as at the midsection of the elastic, and the ends of the elastic are then connected to stirrups. A user then inserts the user""s feet into the stirrups and grips the rigid bar with both hands and repeatedly raises the bar to the chest or head level. In this manner, the user exercises through repeated use of the stretch resistance. Other exercises are also possible by engaging the feet and hands with the stirrups and the rigid bar respectively.
A common concern in the use of elastic exercise equipment is that the elastic may break or disengage from its anchor when it is under tension. This may result in injury to the user. In the above described elastic and bar device, it is necessary that the elastic remain secured to the rigid bar. One purpose of the device, however, is the ability to quickly assemble and disassemble the device for travel and storage. Thus, the elastic is not permanently anchored to the rigid bar and presents a risk of the elastic disengaging the bar. Furthermore, both the user""s feet must maintain contact with the stirrups during exercise. If one of the user""s feet slips from a stirrup when the elastic is under tension, the stirrup may impact the user and cause injury.
A further concern in the exercise equipment industry is the ability to economically manufacture a reliable, safe, and effective product. Profit margins are such that even slight reductions in manufacturing costs may be the difference between commercial viability and a failed product.
Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an elastic exercise bar which provides improved anchoring of the components to reduce risk of injury. It would be a further advancement in the art to provide an elastic exercise bar which is more economical to manufacture. These advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent by examination of the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.
The present invention provides an improved elastic exercise apparatus having a rigid bar configured with an interior cavity and apertures on the ends of the bar. The bar may be cylindrical in shape and is configured with two slots with each slot adjacent the ends of the bar. The slots are in communication with the apertures and the cavity. The apparatus further comprises an elastic member and handles attached to the ends of the elastic member. Each handle may be configured generally in a stirrup configuration and has an engaging member which is insertable into an aperture and the cavity of the bar. The handle further comprises an extending member which, as the engaging member is inserted into the cavity, is fed into the corresponding slot. The extending member, therefore, extends from the cavity and through the slot. The ends of the elastic member are attached to portions of the extending member which are exterior to the bar cavity. The bar may further be disassembled into two or more sub-members to facilitate compact storage of the apparatus.
In operation, a user assembles the apparatus by engaging portions of the bar to complete assembly of the bar. The user then inserts the handles into the cavity of the bar to anchor the elastic member to the bar. The user then places both feet on the approximate midsection of the elastic member and grips the bar in both hands. The user exercises by lifting the bar repeatedly to the chest or head level.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an elastic exercise apparatus suitable for repetitive exercises which provides superior anchoring of the elastic member to reduce risk of injury and which is economic to manufacture.
Such a device is disclosed and claimed herein.